Follow me Down
by stemilie69
Summary: Cora Let her fingers run across the bark she walked around the tree a few times. On the third or fourth pass she noticed there seemed to be a large hole under one of the roots.” When did that get there?"
1. Take me Take me

Follow me down

The only thing I own is Cora and family with plot.

* * *

They had just arrived at the new house. It was very different from the base house were they last lived and she hoped this time they would stay here. The house was big , white, with a cool front porch that came out round the front door, it also had a lot of windows and was located on the edge of a field that was littered with random trees. At the end of the field was a forest that she was already planning on exploring. But first the inside of house needed to be seen and there was sure to be a war on the rooming situation already between her four younger siblings. The youngest was Sally who was four, Nate who was six, Bella who was ten, Luke who was 13, and there older brother Matt who was 21 who no longer lived with them, he had joined the army like their dad. Right in the middle of all of the kids there she was Cora 17 years old and she was more lonely then ever. Her dad being in the army caused them to move a lot from base to base and it never really gave her time to make friends ,but sense he decided to give up the army career. This new house might really be they're home for good and she might make some friends finally.

Deciding it was time to stop staring up at the house with her bags in her hands ,pitying herself Cora finally went in. It was just as beautiful on the inside as the out. With sunny yellow walls and white trim this house was already home her. Cora made her way to the next floor via the strange staircase that stood in the corner of the front hall. On the second floor there was three white washed old doors with the old skeleton key locks. By the looks of it though all three rooms were already taken by Nate ,her parents ,and Sally. So Cora continued to make her way up the next flight of stairs. The third floor was strange in setup. All three doors to the rooms were located in one little alcove, with on door on left one door on the right and one in the middle. Leaving the rest of the floor space taken up by the landing for the stairs, that she could look down from and see all the way to the first floor.

Cora was about to walk into the door on the right when it swung open from the inside. Jumping back in surprise she bumped into the door on her left. Her brother Luke laughed his head off from the doorway on the right. "Rooms been claimed sis, sorry........ oh and Bella's got the one in the middle so looks like you got the left," with one final laugh at her still stunned face he slammed the door. Letting out a frustrated sigh Cora blew her brown curly hair out of her face and opened the left side door. Apparently the family had already decided that was her room and hadn't let her know because all her stuff was sitting in the middle of the dusty floor. Quickly shutting the door and finding that it locked from the inside and out with a small shiny skeleton key , Cora smiled for the first time all day." Thank god for small miracles..." she mumbled to herself. Putting the key in her pocket and walking over to the large windows, that only stopped a few inches above the floor, she opened them hoping to get some fresh air in the room. It was a pretty view of the woods on the left and there was lake thing off to the right of the house with houses across the way from hers. Cora counted at least four other houses. Looking back at the lake more like swamp thing she noticed that they had a small dock as did the rest of the neighbors. She really hoped they didn't expect her to swim in that gross looking water she would need at least six showers after if she did. Speaking of showers were was the bathroom? Looking around the room again she found another door. Opening it she found of nice bathroom with shower that was a lot cleaner then the main room. No sharing with annoying little kids in the morning, this house was getting better by the minute.

After a few hours of cleaning and organizing Cora's room was to her likening. The walls of the room were already a pale aqua color that wasn't bad at all. After taking a shower in her OWN bathroom she put on some of her favorite jean shorts and white tank top. Sliding on her bright blue keds. Cora made her way down stairs following the smell of pizza to the kitchen. The kitchen was white and light orange. Cora loved it and prayed her mother didn't want to paint over it. "I like it here," her dad said looking over at Cora smiling. "Me too lets stay here for good okay.....,taking a piece of pizza Cora made her way to the back door, I'm going for a walk I'll be back later." "Be careful please!" her mom yelled after her. "Where's the fun in being careful?" Cora mumbled to herself finishing off her pizza and tossing the crust in the field as she made her way toward the woods.

It was instantly cooler under the shade of the trees and moss. There seemed to be a natural path already so Cora simply followed it. "This place is way to quiet ." Cora was fond of talking to herself sometimes , it went with territory of having really no friends to talk too. She continued to walk on till the path turned to what seemed the edge of swamp lake thing in her backyard. Turning around she tried to find another option." Where to go.... Where to go......" Cora was on her second turn around when she spotted something move from the bushes, getting over the shock, Cora walked towards the bushes. Nothing seemed to be there yet she continued through the bushes finding a very over grown path. "Well that's strange" Most people would turn at this point and go back to the safe path ,but Cora wasn't most people. The path went on for a few minutes it was hard to follow because it was so over grown. Cora was starting to think it wasn't a path at all. When suddenly the what seemed to be a path forked." This way or That way" she mumbled and decided to go left through some smaller bushes. After a few more minutes of walking a very large old tree came into view.

Cora seemed almost drawn to it. Letting her fingers run across the bark she walked around the tree a few times. On the third or fourth pass she noticed there seemed to be a large hole under one of the roots." When did that get there?" Kneeling down she took a closer looker the hole that only seemed to go a foot in the ground. Looking at the root Cora noticed it said something she ran her fingers over the words "_Take me.... Take me... out of here...... "_Cora said the words to herself then there was the sound of dirt moving and realized the hole was sinking. Jumping out of the hole and back in surprise Cora looked on shocked as the hole got deeper. Looking in she noticed light coming from the inside. Trying to get a better look Cora stuck her head deeper into the large hole that now was sitting next to root. Suddenly the ground seemed to give way. Cora toppled into the rabbit hole while a loud scream. She watched the dirt above her cover the lid of hole. "way to go Cora...,she said to herself, only you would find a giant rabbit hole to fall into."

The fall was slow giving her enough time to look around and notice the many strange objects around her. Just as she was starting to think the fall would never end it did and she fell on to her butt in the middle of a black and white tiled hallway that was lined with doors. Now standing Cora walked towards one of the doors she turned the knob and found it locked. So she tried the next one and it seemed that all of the doors were locked."Aww come on who locks a hallway full of doors and puts no keyholes on them..........better yet who makes a hallway full of doors with no way out in the first place" Cora exclaimed putting her hands on her hips. She walked back towards the first door and noticed that there was now a silver name placket on the door. This doors placket read **The House of Cards, **while the door next to its placket read **Time **and that's it. She continued down the hall again reading the new plackets till she came across the door that read** The Houses of the Mad Hatter and Mad March. **Now this door had a keyhole. Cora kneeled down to see if she could see through it and was surprised to find she could. What surprised her more was the fact that behind the door seemed to be another woods with the sound of distant chatter. Cora wanted in, she stared at the lock trying to come up with some sort of idea. When she remember her bedroom key in her pocket. Figuring it was worth a shot she tried it. The door swung open and she was faced with the woods she had just seen through the keyhole. Pocketing the key Cora shut the door and made her way towards the voices she had just heard moments before.

* * *

So this is the first chapter of my new story I just started writing chapter two tell me what you think


	2. Out of here

Follow me down

Chapter 2 Out of here

I Don't own anything but Cora and fam. and the plot.

* * *

Cora followed the sound of clinking china and the very loud excided voices. While she made her way she took the time to look around, it was a very strange place , this forest. The floor of the forest itself was a checker board pattern of dark green and light green grass. While the trees seemed to go up into the sky as far as she could see. The sky itself was the bluest she had ever seen. Soon the woods started to thin some and the ground began to slope into what almost looked like a very small clearing. In the center Cora observed , a large table with enough chairs and place setting for at least a party of 60 people. Two small cottages sat on the edges of clearing. Their was two people sitting at one end of the table and they hadn't noticed Cora yet. They were laughing hysterically and which wouldn't have disturbed Cora so much if it wasn't for the fact that when the man in a top hat suddenly through a teapot at the other man who had some strange things sticking out the top of his head. Cora bit her tongue to stop from screaming for the man to duck. The man got the teapot right in the side of the head ,but it didn't seem to faze him. He simply just picked of the sugar bowl and through it at the hatted man's face.

Seeing enough of the men Cora turned to leave ,but found that the path she had just taken was gone and the only way was to take the path, that just appeared in front of her, down to the two mad men. Cora slowly began to make her way down as the men grew closer she saw how strange they really were. The one had a short purple top hat on that matched his purple shirt and very old looking brown leather jacket. Sandy brown hair was sticking out from under his hat . Turning her attention to the other man she found that the things atop his head were giant brown rabbit ears. "what the hell...."she mumbled. The rabbit man had darker brown hair on his head and his skin was darker compared to the man with the hat's s skin that was almost as pale as Cora's. Rabbitman wore a bright red riding jacket and black boots on his feet that were resting atop the table.

"Well March, what do we have here?" the Hat man said suddenly turning his attention to Cora who had just realized she now was next to the table. "I......I'm......ummmm" she managed to choke out. Her awkwardness delighted the men to no end causing them to burst in to crazed laughter again. She stood awkwardly trying to figure out what even to say. "I do believe Hatter that she fell in.... and some how has managed to make her way to are lovely tea party!" March squealed in delight earning another round of laughter from Hatter. "I'm Cora and I did fall in.... your door was the only one that had a key hole, so I used my bedroom key to open it hoping it would some how find me away to out again." March continued his mad laughter while Hatter's laughter stopped and his face welcomed a sobered expression. "Where did you find that key?" Hatter demanded standing and walking towards her. "The house I just moved into the key was in my door of my bedroom...... I didn't know it opened anything else" Cora struggled to get these words out because the Hatter seemed very upset with what she just said and was now looking down at her with very angry blue eyes. March decide it was now the best time to stop his laughing and intervine"OHHH leave her alone Hatty! How was she suppose to know were the key lead too.....anywho don't blame her for your foolishness!" Hatter backed up and returned to his seat chugging what was left of his tea. " You see my dear new friend Cora. That house you just moved into was once the house of old Hatter heres girl and he had that little key made by the Queen of Hearts herself so his girl could come down here whenever she liked." "What happen?" Cora asked March ,but the question was more addressed to Hatter. "Well you see sh." March was cut off by another flying teapot. This time Cora screamed and ducked in her chair. Wait when had she sat down, trying to figure out how she got to there. Her thoughts were cut short by a teacup flying past her head. The cup hit the chair back and Hatter burst into mad laughter once more.

" I will not have things thrown at me!" she stormed." Well then you can leave" Hatter said with enough venom in his voice to kill, motioning toward a door that now appeared in the tree. "Fine!" standing she stomped towards the door."Awwww come on don't be that way Cora ignore Hatter he's just grumpy today!" "It was very nice to meet you March ,but I know when I'm not welcome someplace." Cora turned to walk through the black doorway." "Comeback tomorrow for tea I'll make sure Hatter controls his temper this time!?" "I'll think about" Cora said over her shoulder as she continued through the doorway in the tree. The doorway disappeared after her. "You didn't have to be so rude to her you know!" March shot at Hatter." Well you didn't have to be so damn nice to her, she's a complete stranger how do you know she can even be trusted!" "I know because Time told me last week we would have a visitor and that she could be trusted." "Really Time told you ,Hatter replied in a snarky tone , we both know how well he is at judging people." "She's different Hatter I can tell anyway No one has got this much emotion out of you sense...."Another teacup hit March for the third time that day. The subject was dropped.

* * *

What ya think? review and tell me

xoxo em


	3. Ramblings of March

Ramblings of March

Cora found herself back on the forest path the tree she just walked through was no where in sight. There was also no sign of the madmen she had just conversed with. She checked the time on her silver watch her dad had given her, to see how long it had been and found that only minutes had passed. A cool wind had picked up making her shiver. As quickly as possible she made her way out of the forest and back towards the house. It wasn't till she was in the safety of her room did she even begin to think of the strange trip she had just endured. Lying on her bed Cora stared at the windows that faced the forest. You couldn't see the woods anymore because night had fallen. She played with the small key that opened the Hatter's and hers doors. When her parents bought the house the relater said no one had lived here in years. But if the Hatter's girl lived here at one time it would have to have been years ago making Hatter much older then he looked because he looked about 19 and even March the rabbit man looked only about 19 at oldest. Maybe they don't age Cora mumbled out loud to herself. She continued to the spin the key in her fingers looking at it more closely. Nothing seemed out of the different about the key that was different from the rest of the keys in the house. After inspecting the key for another few minutes Cora grew frustrated and tossed the key into the air. She heard it clang against the wood floor seconds later, but didn't look to see where it landed.

The next few days passed uneventfully. School was out for summer which was great and all, but it also meant babysitting all her brothers and sisters. Cora hadn't given much thought about encounter with the madmen sense that day and it was almost as if she forgot about it completely. Only when she cleaned her new room and found the key under her dresser, did she remember again. So here she found herself again walking through the woods attempting to find the tree with the rabbit hole yet she was having no such luck. Cora had spent the better part of three hours looking for the tree with no find. She plopped herself on to the ground with a huff. "How come when I want to fall in it I can't find it, but when I didn't there it was?" Then an idea stuck her, standing Cora shouted quite purposely I DO NOT WISH TO FIND THAT TREE! and stormed the other direction. If there where on lookers they would have laughed or hurried in the other direction, but there was only Cora. Who had realized that her plan had not worked in the slightest?" Damn, she mumbled to herself, it has to be here somewhere." She turned to move in the other direction, but ran into to a tree that seemed to have shown up out of know were. Realizing this was the tree she had been looking for Cora did a very small victory dance next to the old thing. Walking around the tree again she soon found the hole. "Now what..." The rabbit hole didn't seem to sink no matter what she did. Looking around in desperation she spotted the craved words on the root again. Quickly she ran her fingers over the words watching them change as each of her fingers past them. Soon the hole began to sink and Cora was again free falling. This time she knew what to expect so she looked around her at surroundings with a greater interest. There were maps of countries she had never seen, books on shelves that looked like that would come crashing down any minute, and Signs that said very strange things. Cora reached out to touch one of the signs, but it seemed the hole decided it was time for her fall to end and she landed with a great thud on the tiled floor once more.

Standing and brushing herself off she walked with determination towards the door she knew to be The House of Mad March and Mad Hatter, but soon found the door had moved. It was now on the other side of the hall next to the door that read The Knights Woods. Pulling out her key she quickly opened the door and closed it behind her. It wasn't long before she found herself nearing the clearing and the sound of mad laughter reached her ears. Soon the two men came into view they where sitting at a different spot along the table. Cora made her way down the hill, March seemed to notice her first and let out a rather loud squeal of delight. "Coraaaaaas here! Look Hattie I told you so! You owe me tea!" "I'll give you your tea." Hatter said gravely while picking up the nearest teacup and chucking it at Marches head. It missed making Cora giggle. March smiled broadly and pulled out a chair next to him for her to sit. Hatter did not seem pleased to see her. March simply ignored the fact Hatter was pissed off about something and continued to ramble on about his good friend Time. Cora really did try to pay attention ,but her interest was drawn Hatter who was glaring at his cup as though if he thought hard enough it would explode. Cora had a few questions for March none in which she could ask in front of Hatter. Such as why did Hatter hate her so much and who was this girl that lived in her new house? She didn't get much time to ponder a good time to ask because March began asking questions about the flowers from "up there where she lived". As Cora answered the question best she could trying to explain that flowers up there did not in fact sing. Which March found fascinating. Hatter was mumbling rude comments under his breath between sips of tea. Cora was about to ask him to repeat his comments for the table when March who was still playing dumb to the tension at the table cut her off. "I wish our flowers didn't sing, Do you know why I wish that Cora?" Before she could answer March was already telling her why. "Because they think they can sing beautifully they're terrible I tell you. They sound like dying Jabberwocky I liked to do a tap dance on them all to shut them up." HHatter couldn't help, but laugh this time. Marches comments on such thing were way too funny to ignore. Cora didn't laugh because she simply didn't get the joke. "What's a Jabberwocky?" The sound of the thing didn't sound pleasant. Hatter let out a rude chuckle making her feel stupid for asking.

"It's a terrible stupid being that barely knows it's up from it's down..." Hatter cut in. "It kills everything in sight the red queen keeps it as protection from outsiders...such as your self...maybe if you're lucky I won't turn you in or maybe instead..." Hatter was interrupted when a teacup hit him square in the head. He looked at March expecting it to be him, but found that March was on the ground laughing and Cora was the one with her arm still in the air from the throw. She gave him a look that clearly said I dare you to finish your sentence. Hatter stood from the table and stormed away mumbling again. "What's his problem anyway?" Cora stated to know one imp reticular. "Oh Hattie doesn't trust people very easy after everything that happened with Alice." March said between gasps of breath and random giggles. "Alice? Is she the one who lived in the house before me? Is that why he hates me because I'm in her old house?" "Alice had Hatter wrapped around her little finger and then one day he went to meet her he waited all day and she never showed up." This seemed to sober The March Hare a great deal his body seemed sag with the wait of the story he was going to tell. Cora almost wanted to tell him to forget about it. Yet she was too curious at this point and even with feeling sorry for March she let him continue. March gave her a long look before going on." The key Cora that you used to open our door is a very important key. Probably more important then tea, which is extremely important. That key allows anyone to enter our world at anytime, controlling all the doors in the hallway. Even Time's door and he doesn't give out keys ever. If you control our door you can control us. The Queen of hearts discovered this key some years, in the hands of a dying man. She quickly found that the key could not used by her if the man was still alive. She locked him up and waited." "Why didn't she just kill him and be over with it?" Cora asked it made logical sense, why wait it out kill him and get it over with. "We don't know why someone convinced the queen to wait so she waited. A big mistake on her part, when the old man was very sick and it was clear he was not going to make it another day. The Queen of Hearts was waiting patiently for the man to dye. When the hatter came for a visit, the queen was always very fond of the Hatter so she naturally let him stay for tea. Now I don't know how he did it, but dear ol' Hattie stole the key for the old dying man and gave it to Alice before the Queen even knew it was gone. Thus when the man died Alice held the power of the key."

He must have really loved this girl if he would steal the damn key of all keys for her, Cora thought. "Why did he steal it though what use would it be to Alice?" "Hatter gave the key to Alice because then she could come to our world when ever she wanted. Unlike you Cora we can not travel between upstairs and down. The tree you walk through to go home would simply close up if we tried to go through it. The only way the two of them could see each other is if Alice came here and Hatter made sure she could at all times. But it didn't take long for the Queen to figure out the key was gone and who had taken it. Hatter was arrested and brought to the castle. Now I don't exactly what happened there. From what I've gathered from his mumblings is that he was severely beaten and starved for refusing to rat out Alice, who had to key. He was gone for many weeks and when he returned he was a broken man. He would sit under that tree there and mumble things refusing to look at anyone. And still after all this time Alice did not come once after she received the key. Then one night Hatter disappeared returning days later with a scary kind of madness where the love for Alice had been. He claimed to have found away upstairs. Saying he went to her house, your house now, looking. He found a man boarding up the windows who told him the family, Alice's family, was gone. They had moved months ago, but they had sold the house to this man boarding up windows a year before. She knew she was leaving Cora, never even mentioned it to him. The mumbling became more aggressive and angry, it never made much sense. Its taken years to get him back to some of what he use to be, but sometimes he lets the madness that Alice caused show and it's quite a scary sight my dear. The mumbling only happens on days the Queen comes, they go off into those woods sane and when they return, Hattie is completely different. I believe the Queen is making him pay for stealing the key. I've always thought the Queen had a small love for Hatter, but I have never been able to prove it. Maybe that's why to whole Alice key satiation set her over the edge. Because Hatter loved an outsider and not the Queen of Hearts herself." March gave a small shrug indicating he was mostly thinking aloud. "Time keeps telling me that he heals all. I don't know about that, I can just hope…." March let his words trail off lost in thoughts. The short story had emotionally drained the rabbit man.

Realizing she was probably the only outside person, other then Time, that March had ever told this story too, Cora decided to drop the subject. March continued to look a straight forward, sipping his tea slowly, and his ears now hanging loosely on the sides of his furring head. "I don't know why he is so rude towards you Cora, maybe because your house was hers or that she had left that key just lying around it... It's probably the key that makes him mad, all the trouble over that damn key and Alice just left it lying around for anyone to find. The Queen will give him hell if she knows another outsider has it. She'll hunt you down if she knows you have it. Alice has long sense been dead and gone. The power is now yours and if the Queen makes you no longer around...as in...," "dead, Cora finished his sentence; if I'm killed then the key is hers again." "March... if people down here can't go up there... how did Hatter do it?" "I really don't know I trust him that he found away, but he has never shared it with me." Cora thought on this a long time sipping her tea, until March managed to spill tea all over him. He burst into crazed laughter breaking the tension and began screaming MOVE DOWN NEW CUP! The emotional moment had now passed and March had moved on to more interesting topics such as rocking horse flies.


End file.
